Spray control valve



Dec. 25, 1945. -rm 2,391,582

SPRAY CONTROL VALVE Filed May 2, 1944 flZQA/ESTMEW INVENTOR.

ATTORN EY.

I Patented Dec. 25, 1945 'SPRAY CONTROL VALVE Earnest E. Martin, Redondo, CaliL, asslgnor to Ralph Walsh, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 2, 1944, Serial No. 533.697

' (o1. ass-9s) 12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to dispensing valve devices, and is concerned particularly with improvements in the type employing a diaphragm v for maintaining a. normally closed seal, and a valve element which serves the dual purposes of penetrating the diaphragm and controlling the discharge of fluid released through the diaph agm.

The invention has been developed primarily as a dispensing valve for use in conjunction with pressure fluid containers and to permit controlled dispersion of the fluid in the form of a spray of finely divided fluid particles. Typically the invention will be described as a dispensing valve applied to insecticide containers charged with a normally gaseous, high vapor pressure fluid such as that sold under the trade-name Freon.

One principal object of the invention is to provide a valve device capable of releasing the pressure fluid at a rate and under pressure sufficient to form an eilicient spray dispersal of the insecticidal composition, all in a manner permitting most emcient and therefore extended use of a given quantity of the material. In accordance with the invention, the valve device is reduced to a simple form comprising a body containing a discharge orifice through which the pressure fluid escaping through the opened diaphragm is released to the atmosphere, and a valve element controlling in certain respects the release of fluid to the discharge orifice.

Among the main features of the valve assembly is a sealing element adapted to be brought into and out of direct sealing engagement with the discharge orifice, by and in accordance with movements of the valve. An added feature of the sealing element is its capacity to serve as a means for keeping the discharge orifice free of foreign or clogging particles Another important feature of the invention is the adaptation of the valve to form, with the body, an escape passage at the discharge side of the diaphragm, of such restricted proportions as to serve effectively as fllter space and also as a flow restriction for reducing below the container pressure, the effective fluid pressure at the discharge orifice.

Other objects and features of the invention have to do with such details as the arrangement of the diaphragm with relation to the container discharge tube, and the attachment of the valve and tube assembly to the container. All the aforementioned objects will be better understood without necessity for further preliminary observention in one of its typical and preferred forms. Reference is had throughout the description to the accompanying drawing. in which: I

Fig. 1 is a general view, partly in section, showing the dispensing valve device applied to a pressure fluid container;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary and sectional view showing the valve position before the diaphra m is punctured; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the diaphragm punctured by the valve.

As previously indicated, the valve device, generally designated at III, is particularly adaptable for dispensing in a sprayed or atomized form, a

high vapor pressure fluid such as an insecticidal solution composed of a relatively small percentage of pyretnrum and vegetable oil in dichlorodifluoroanethane, the latter having a boihng temperature of 21.7 F. The solution may be contained in liquid phase within a pressure vessel II filled through a suitable bottom fitting generally indicated at I2, and carrying the dispensing valve device I0.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the dispensing valve assembly comprises a body I3 received within the counter-sunk top portion Ila of the container and attached thereto as will presently appear.

' The valve body I3 contains an intermediate bore I l of relatively small diameter, a bottom counterbore I5, and an upper counter-bore I6 having screw threads Il throughout a portion of its length. A discharge orifice I8 extends laterally through the wall of the body from bore I6, preferably from a location close to or directly adjacent the annular body shoulder l9. Inserted within counter-bore I6 is a cup-shaped diaphragm 2D seated against the body shoulder 2I and having a diameter corresponding closely to the counter-bore diameter.

The valve comprises a stem 22 having a knurled head 23 and threads 24 turned into the 'body threads II. The valve stem has a reduced diameter portion 25 and an integral and further reduced diameter pin 26 received within the body bore I4. Portion 25 of the valve stem carries a sealing ring 2! bearing against shoulder 28, the ring preferably having a normal diameter somewhat in excess of the diameter of bore I6 so that when received within the lower unthreaded portion thereof, the ring is under sufllcient radial compression to maintain an eilective seal against fluid escape between the valve stem and body. The sealing ring 21 maybe made'of any suitable vations, from the following description of the inre ili n y P as ateri l. such as a type of rubber resistant to attack or disintegration by the fluid to be dispensed.

In view of the desirable pressure reducing effect of the valve pin 28 in bore i6, reference may be had to certain typical dimensions. The length of bore is preferably is a plurality of times its diameter (e. g. in.), and the diameter of pin 26 is reduced to leave a clearance at 29 of about 0.002 in. between the bore and pin. Orifice i8 may be formed by a No. '74 drill (0.022 in. diameter). Beyond orifice l8 the wall of the body is countersunk or drilled to form an enlarged opening 30 permitting relatively unrestricted discharge of the spray, and to reduce the length of the orifice to correspond substantially with its diameter.

The valve device is applied to the container H in inverted position by first inserting the discharge tube 3! snugly into the cup-shaped diaphragm, as permitted by the movability of the tube out through opening 34 in the container. The valve body It then is seated within the recessed portion Ha of the container, and a brass ring 32, previously placed about the tube 3!, is permitted to seat against the body within opening 34. By then placing the inverted container and valve assembly in an electrically heated oven or other heated atmosphere, the ring 32 is melted to form a common braze between tube 3| and the container, valve body and diaphragm. The molten brazing metal may flow outwardly at 33 between the container and valve body, and perhaps also around the outside of the latter.

In considering the operation of the device, assume the container l i to be filled with timessure fluid of the nature indicated above, and the valve stem 22 to be in the position of Fig. 2, so that the diaphragm 20 thus normally seals against the escape of fluid. When the valve stem is turned down into the body, the pointed end 26a of the pin penetrates and passes through the diaphragm 2!. The diaphragm preferably is made of metal sufficiently soft and ductile as to be deformed downwardly, without splitting, when penetrated by the valve, thus leaving a continuously annular projecting portion 25a of the diaphragm in close relationship about the cylindrical portion of the valve pin 26. Suificient clearance however will exist between the valve and the surrounding edge of the diaphragm to permit the escape of fluid through the diaphragm and bore M to the discharge orifice I8 when the latter is cleared by the sealing ring 21. The valve pin 26 preferably has suflicient length that its cylindrical portion will remain in the diaphragm opening in the open or fluid discharge position of the valve, 1. e. when the seal 21 has raised sufiiciently to uncover the opening 18.

When the valve is turned down to the diaphragm penetrating position of Fig. 3, the sealing ring 21 is pressed between shoulders I!) and 28 and brought into effective sealing engagement with the discharge orifice iii. A particularly important feature of the invention is the fact that upon compression of the sealing ring, a portion of its rubber is displaced outwardly into the discharge orifice, as indicated in Fig. 2, a distance at least corresponding to the diameter of the orifice. The effect of such displacement of the rubber is not only to maintain an effective seal, but to clean the orifice of any solid foreign or clogging particles therein. Thus, with respect to the discharge orifice, the device is self-cleaning each time the valve is turned down to compress the sealing ring.

Fluid is released from the container and through the discharge orifice I8 by turning the valve sufficiently to bring the sealing ring above and out of sealing relation to the orifice. By reason of the small clearance at 29 about the valve pin, the fluid escape is restricted in bore ll to a greater degree than within either the diaphragm opening 2la or the discharge orifice l8. Consequently, the pressure of the fluid entering orifice I8 is materially reduced below the pressure in the container and immediately at the outlet side of the diaphragm. For example, assuming the container pressure to be in the neighborhood of 75 pounds per sq. in., the pressure of the fluid entering orifice I 8 may be reduced to around pounds per sq. in. A further important function of the restricted clearance at 2! is to provide an effective filter for the separation from the fluid of foreign particles that otherwise might gain access to and clog the discharge orifice it. Finally it may be observed that particularly when the cylindrical portion of the valve pin 26 may remain in the diaphragm opening in the open position of the valve, the proximity of the displaced portion of the diaphragm about the pin also tends to filter out of the escaping gas stream, any solid or foreign particles.

I claim:

1. A valve device for dispensing from a container a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a body, a stem movable axially within the body, a cup-shaped diaphragm adapted to be ruptured by penetration by said stem, and a tube having an end portion received within said diaphragm and engaging the sides thereof, fluid being discharged from the container through said tube when the diaphragm is ruptured.

2. A valve device of the character described comprising a body having a discharge oriflce'extending laterally from a bore in said body, a. stem threaded into the body within said bore, an annular body shoulder at one end of said bore, an annular shoulder on said stem and having an outside diameter substantially greater than the internal diameter of said body shoulder, and a deformable sealing rin surrounding said stem and compressible between said shoulders by axial movement of the stem to deform and radially expand said ring into direct sealing engagement with said orifice.

3. A valve device of the character described comprising a body having a discharge orifice extending laterally from a bore in said body, a stem threaded into the body within said bore, an annular body shoulder at one end of said bore, an armular shoulder on said stem and having an outside diameter substantially greater than the internal diameter of said body shoulder, and a rubber sealing ring surrounding the stem and compressible between said shoulders by axial movement of the stem to form fluid tight seals against the stem and body and ,to expand radially against and into said orifice a distance corresponding at least to the diameter of the orifice.

4. A valve device of the character described comprising a body having a discharge orifice extending laterally from a bore in said body, a stem threaded into the body within said bore, an

pressible between said shoulders by axial movement of the stem to deform and radially expand said ring into sealing engagement with said orifice, and a further reduced diameter diaphragmrupturing end portion of said stem extending through the bore of said body shoulder.

5. A valve device for dispensing from a container a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a body attached to said container and having a discharge orifice, an axially movable stem in said body, a stem actuated valve for opening and closing said orifice, a diaphragm normally sealing the escape of fluid from the container to said orifice and adapted to be ruptured by penetration by said stem, and means including a passage having at diiferent open positions of the valve a substantially constant crosssectional area for restricting the flow of fluid from :he ruptured diaphragm to said orifice to a greater degree than the fiuid flow'is restricted )y said orifice.

6. A valve device for dispensing from a con- ;ainer a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a body attached to said container and having a discharge orifice, an axially movable stem in said body, a stem actuated valve for opening and closing said orifice, a diaphragm normally sealing the escape of fluid from the container to said orifice and adapted to be ruptured by penetration by said stem, and means including a passage having at different open positions of the valve a substantially constant crosssection-al area for reducing the pressure of the escaping fluid entering said orifice below the pressure of the fluid at the outlet side of the diaphragm.

7. A valve device for dispensing from a container a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a body containing a bore and a discharge orifice extending laterally therefrom, an axially movable stem threaded into said bore, a stem actuated valve for opening and closing said orifice, a diaphragm normallysealing the escape of fluid through said bore to the orifice and adapted to be ruptured by movement of said valve, and means forming directly along the stem a restricted passage of substantially constant cross-sectional area at different positions of the valve whereby the pressure of the escaping fluid entering said orifice is reduced below the pressure of the fluid at the outlet side of the diaphragm.

8. A valve device for dispensing from a container a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a, body containing a bore and a discharge orifice extending laterally therefrom, an axiall movable stem threaded into said bore, a stem actuated valve for opening and closing said orifice, a diaphragm normally sealing the escape of fluid through said bore to the orifice and adapted to be ruptured by movement of said stem, and means including .a passage having at different open positions of the valve a substantially constant cross-sectional area !or restricting the flow of fluid from the ruptured diaphragm to said orifice to a greater degree than the fluid is restricted in flowing through the ruptured diaphragm.

9. A valve device for dispensing from a container a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a body containing a bore and a discharge orifice, an axially movable stem extending into said bore through one end thereof, a counter-bore at the opposite end of said bore, a shoulder at the end of said counter-bore. a cup-shaped diaphragm fitted to the wall of said counter-bore and having its closed end seated against said shoulder, said diaphragm normally sealing the escape of fluid through said bore to the orifice and being adapted to be ruptured by penetration by the end of said stem, and a fluid delivery tube having its end portion received within and engaging the sides of said, diaphragm.

10. A valve device for dispensing from a container a spray of fluid maintained therein under pressure, comprising a body containing a bore and a discharge orifice, an axially movable stem extending into said bore through one end thereof, a counter-bore at the opposite end of said bore, a shoulder at the end of said counter-bore, a cup-shaped diaphragm fitted to the wall of said counter-bore and having its closed end seated against said shoulder, said diaphragm normall sealing the escapeor fluid through said bore to the orifice and being adapted to be ruptured by penetration by the endlof said stem, and a fluid delivery tube having its end portion re ceived within and engaging the sides of saiddiaphragm, and a single brazed joint at the bottom of said bodyintegrating the body, diaphragm through the side of said bore, an axially movable stem threaded into said bore, sealing means carried by the stem and operable to close and open said orifice, and a diaphragm normally sealing the flow of fluid throught said bore to the orifice, an end portion of the stem being movable to penetrate the diaphragm and having, between the orifice opening and closing positions of said sealing means, a range of movement within the rupture-formed opening in the diaphragm without there being any appreciable variation in the size of a narrow annular clearance between the stem and the edge of said opening.

12. A valve device of the character described comprising a body containing a bore, means forming a discharge orifice, extending laterally through the side of said bore, an axially movable stem threaded into said bore and having a. tapered end and a cylindrical portion adjacent said end, sealing means carried by the stem and operable to close and open said orifice, and a diaphragm normally sealing the fiow of fluid through said bore to the orifice, an end portion of the stem being movable in an advancingdirection to cause its tapered end to penetrate the diaphragm and said cylindrical portion to enter the resulting opening in the diaphragm before said sealing means moves past and closes saidorifice, so that said cylindrical portion of the stem remains in the diaphragm opening in both the orifice opening and closing positions of the sealing means.

EARNEST E. MARTIN. 

